Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-07-07
LIFE IN NEW YORK CITY.
Bill Nye Encounters Whit of Glover and
Wild Thyme from the Country.

Bill Nye Encounters a Whit of Glover and
Wild Thyme from the Country.
A Josh Whitcomb-looking old gen.
tleman sat most of the day yesterday
Oh seat in the open lot commonly
called Union Square. He had his hat
off so that the zephyrs of spring could
zeph through his late hair and his feet
were drawn up into the legs of his
boots where they could swell on almost
indefinitely if they felt better that
way.
He was dressed plainly and he car
ried with him an emaciated oil-cloth
grip that had no doubt put in a long,
hard winter. He watched this bag so
closely that he did not have much time
to commune with nature or enjoy the
broad and beautiful sweep of country
which extends longitudinally from
Fourth avenue to Broadway, merry
and musical with its myriads of song
birds. The twitter of the silvery-
voiced sparrow and the tropical, dark
red notice to keep off the grass, did
not seem to calm him OF soothe his
anxiety.
l drew near and engaged him in con-
versation. Nothing gives me greater
pleasure than to make strangers in New
York as comfortable as possible while
here so that they will feel like coming
again frequently and doing their trad
ing here. / believe that this is the only
true way to build up town.
He said that where he stopped they
wanted to take his valise and give him
a check for it, but he would rather have
the grip than any check he had seen
here yet. He had taken one check al
ready in making change with party
day before yesterday and there wasn't
bank in town that would cash it for
him.
"The trouble is here" said he,
"that every inducement is held out to
prevent man from getting acquaint-
ed, and then when he wants to get a
check, or post-office money order, or
any thing else cashed, they tell him he
has got to identify himself. Now the
only man that I've had any dealing
with is the man that give me this check,
and I can't find him. I've seen pretty
near every body else, but haven t saw
him, yesterday or to-day. l hadn't
any thing else much to do yesterday
and so thought I'd kind of make it
my business to look him up. Iwent
over to the post-office about ten o'clock
yesterday morning and watched all day
for him, because l was pretty tolerable
sure he'd be down after his mail before
night, but if he got his mail at all that
day he must have sent for it. No,
guess l wouldn't care to give up my
sachel to Tom, Dick and Harry and
take a check for it. Checks are all
right in their place, but this is no place
for checks"
The style of the old man was SC
amusing that sat and talked with him
long time, for l thoroughly enjoyed
him, and it seemed relief for him tc
have somebody to talk with. He told
me where he lived and how different
his home life was from "this hurry anc
rush and crush and cussedness on every
hand;" how he went to bed as soon as
the chores were done and slept like {
top, but here he couldn't sleep nights
with so much hurrah and Fourth o.
July going on in the streets.
He aimed to 90 home tomorrow, HI
said, but had overplayed himself BY
cashing that blamed check. He ha(
another check of his own, but h
"balled up" as quick as he tried t.
get that cashed, for the same old rea
son that he could not be identified.
He said he was a man in his owl
town that every body knew. Ever
the papers had said that "he wa
thoroughly identified with the growtl
of the place." and now he couldn't b'
identified to save his life.
The check which he had original,
was one that he had folded up yer,
small and in various ways till it wa
! pretty grim and smelled like frie,
pork, but it had an honest air about i
that even a ten-dollar check ma,
wear. I knew that / could, witt
slight trouble, get identified myself
and so took the paper off his hands
after he had indorsed it He was yer,
grateful, and wrung my hand in
warm, enthusiastic way that repai'
me well for the slight favor had don,
him.
One advantage of being man witt
plenty of means is the great chanc
thus offered for doing favors for thos
who need them and who are gratefu
and appreciative.
My friend did not seem TO want t
leave me, but at last told him that
would have to 60 down the street Il
see how my affairs were shuffling along
He shook my hand warmly, which
did not feel very distinctly, for it wa
still paralyzed from the first mani
festation; then he told me l must com
up and see him this summer and sta,
a week or two. l gave him my car
and he went down the street. hum
ming to himself and swinging his Rus
sia iron grip against the legs of tn
hurrying throng.
As he sailed along and finally out o
sight, he seemed like breath of swee
clover and wild thyme, though h
didn't seem to be having very will
thyme; but l could picture his sum
home up in the hills. as he describes
it, where the drowsy sounds tha
came with a country twilight ELK
doves in quiet neighborhoods," lull tn